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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — help
  5. fine — all right
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. press — a publisher
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. fine — high quality
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. foot — a measure
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. snap — to click
  15. ball — a great time
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. press — newspapers
  18. ball — a dance
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. branch — a division
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. press — to push
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. foot — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com